The best scene in Spider-Man 2 isn't the one you're thinking of
With great power comes great responsibility, a lesson director Sam Raimi took to heart when crafting a sequel to his first beloved Spider-Man film.
The character's legacy aside, superhero cinema was at a crucial point in the early noughties, but Spider-Man 2 —which returns to cinemas this week— did the unthinkable by improving on the original with what's now regarded as one of the greatest sequels ever made, one that catapulted the entire genre to dizzying new heights. Dizzying for anyone who wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider, at least.
Key to this was the film's emphasis on heart over action, though that's not to say the action was lacking. But for a hero who's always web-slinging between the towering skyscrapers of New York City, Raimi's direction and Alvin Sargent's script smartly grounded this story of a nerdy kid trying to do the right thing with the same heart Stan Lee and Steve Ditko brought to those early comics.
The result is a film full of unforgettable scenes that all intersect perfectly to create a beautiful web of storytelling. Is that a cheesy thing to say? Absolutely. It's cheesy in a way that Spider-Man 2 is not, although the film could have easily turned out that way in lesser hands.
But if we were to pick one particularly moving moment from Spider-Man 2, one that best captures its cheese-free sincerity, it's not Peter's (Tobey Maguire) confession to Aunt May or even the rousing speech she gives him later, the one that convinces him to retrieve his costume from out the trash and become a hero again. It's the much smaller, quieter scene before that one which resonates most.
At this point, Peter is alone in his s***ty flat, muttering to himself as he stares out the window, lost. He's given up on being Spider-Man, believing himself to be unworthy of helping those he loves most, and he's feeling pretty rejected by everyone at this point too. To make matters worse, Peter is also behind on the rent.
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So what could possibly help Spidey out in this time of need? A bundle of cash? Starting an Only Fans account? No. It turns out that Peter's a man after my own heart because the only thing that can get him out of this funk is a delicious slice of chocolate cake. Heroes… They're just like us!
But Spider-Man 2 was released in 2004, a full decade before Uber Eats was even a thing, and our fave is too poor and too depressed to go buy a treat for himself. That's when Ursula Volodymyrivna Ditkovna, the daughter of Peter's sour, grumpy neighbour, suddenly shows up unannounced with an offer of free cake and milk.
This angel from heaven isn't having the best time either, it seems. She lives in the same s***ty building Peter's stuck in, money isn't exactly growing on trees, and her b*****d father keeps making fun of how thin she is. The film doesn't even bother to name Ursula at this point either. It's not until Spider-Man 3 that she's given a proper introduction onscreen (and even then, she's not treated well).
But we know what's important already, that Ursula has the purest of hearts. She's too good for this world, which is why it's so agonising to see her crush on Peter from afar while he dotes on Mary Jane.
But when Ursula awkwardly bursts into Peter's room, forgetting to knock beforehand, she's not there to steal him away or convince Peter to stop crushing on Kirsten Dunst. An impossible task anyway, I'd imagine.
To her, Peter is another lost soul, trapped in the same run-down hovel. Whether he wants to be with her or not doesn't matter because Ursula cares for him either way. And it's this tiny yet extremely significant bout of heroism that goes on to inspire something even greater.
Who could forget Ursula's soft, sweet voice when she first says hi? Or her wide-eyed appreciation as he finishes his plate (alarmingly covered by what looks like yellow rather than brown crumbs, I might add)?
It's at this point I should shout out Mageina Tovah's performance which is achingly heartfelt in everything from Ursula's physicality to her meek, endearingly soft delivery. You'd never guess Tovah would go on to play the brilliantly odd Zelda Schiff in a brilliantly unhinged show named The Magicians.
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After Peter hands the empty plate back, Ursula smiles her big adorable smile and then turns to go before remembering that she has a note to pass on from Aunt May. That's it. That's the whole scene. But this small, unexpected act of kindness that came in delicious chocolate form drives the rest of the movie and Peter's entire life from that moment on.
It reminds Spider-Man that you should always do as much good as you can in this world, regardless of whether that involves spandex and supervillains or loneliness and cake. Because these small everyday moments are the whole reason we fight for something better, why the ordinary folk the heroes save do matter.
Ursula helps Peter without expecting anything in return, reminding us that we always have a responsibility to do good even if our power seems small rather than great.
It's no wonder that Ursula Ditkovna is named after Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man because no one better represents what Spidey stands for in this film other than Spider-Man himself.
At the time, some scoffed that this scene — and even Ursula's entire storyline — was unnecessary, that it's too simple and drawn out. But not everything has to be grandiose and larger than life, even when it comes to superhero movies. And not everything has to lead to a dramatic (upside-down) kiss either. In fact, it's Raimi's willingness to sit with these quieter beats that makes Spider-Man 2 so special. Therein lies its great power.
Spider-Man 2 returns to cinemas on Friday, 9 August.
